Ken’s Broken Foot: 4 week update

4 weeks after broken 5th metatarsal – right foot

Four weeks ago yesterday, I broke my 5th metatarsal (see previous report). Incidentally, or perhaps, “coincidentally” I kicked a box in the house Thursday night. Saturday was 4-weeks after injury. Of course, it was the toe attached to the injured metatarsal that bore the brunt of the impact. Though it was just a cardboard box filled with a bit of garbage – nothing heavy – it hurt bad.

The next morning as if the impact had stimulated some sort of miraculous over-night healing, the pain in my right foot had shifted from a sharp, broken-bone, pain, to a more dull-like, healing pain – and some itchiness – also normal while healing. I don’t think the kick had anything to do with it. I was rather expecting this shift to happen about that time regardless – unless I would have kicked the box hard enough to re-break the bone.

Anyway, now it seems as if I can walk nearly normally with very little pain, at least those sharp pains which encourage limping. So my recent practice to NOT limp is now paying off. I also realize, after a couple of days of skipping the morning walk with Herman (thanks to my wife, Cathy), that at this time, I really need to walk more, not less, to encourage healing. Astronauts must exercise in simulated weight-bearing conditions to reduce or prevent muscle and bone mass atrophy loss over long periods in space (weightless conditions). Those healing a bone (or other) injury, must begin to increase exercise gradually once the injury has recovered enough to start slowly.